Elliots
by Ava Brett
Summary: Dean thought his life before Elliots was complicated but now that he's been left the bookshop he can see that he didn't know what complicated meant. Not only does he have to deal with a shop which appears to be alive but he also has to deal with a bunch of crazy customers. Add on that the crush he has on Castiel the tenant from upstairs and he's in a whole heap of trouble...
1. Congratulations Mr Winchester

Elliots

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the recognisable characters mentioned in the below story belong to me in any fashion. I am merely using them for my own personal entertainment. They clearly belong to Eric Kripke who was the genius who created Sam and Dean in the first place.**

**The character of Gladys Williams does belong to me and she will feature, mainly in passing conversation as she is deceased… and don't worry I'm not pulling out the usual Supernatural trick of bringing the dead back to life constantly. Gladys remains dead **

Author Note

**So I wrote a version of this chapter before but I don't think I've got it right the first time so here is my second attempt. I'm a great deal happier with this one even if it's a thousand words longer then it originally was.**

**I have several ideas for this story so I'm looking forward to working on it.**

**This story will have several magical elements and will contain pretty much all the characters within the supernatural story, I've taken some liberties with some of the characters perhaps changing them slightly but I haven't changed them so they are jarring in any way.**

**There will be romance and it will be slash so if that's not your cup of tea then you might want to skip some chapters. I'll give warning when you need to. Most other chapters will be completely fine to read.**

**There will also be several scenes full of family moments especially between Dean and Sam. For the first time though Mary and John are alive so none of the supernatural stuff has touched the Winchester family… at least not yet.**

**Anyway enjoy, I'm about to restart chapter two which shouldn't take too long since it is already written.**

Overall Summary

**Elliots magical ****bookshop is** a place where dreams and nightmares come true in equal measure and lives are changed. Once you step foot inside you're forever changed. When Dean Winchester is left Elliots in a will he has no idea what he's getting himself into. Not only does he have to deal with a place which seems alive but also a stream of bizarre customers. Add on that Castiel, the tenant Dean can't thinking about and he's well over his head and Elliots has plans for Dean whether he wants it to or not.

Chapter Summary

**Dean is handed the key to his future… shame it's by a complete and utter dickhead.**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Novak / Dean Winchester and Gabriel Novak / Sam Winchester**

Chapter Romance

**None so far…**

* * *

Chapter One

Congratulations Mr Winchester you now own a bookshop

* * *

**Day one**

* * *

"Yeah I'm sorry, you mind stopping a moment and running that last part by me just one more time?" Dean Winchester demanded, his mouth parting slightly as his eyes widened in surprise, adrenaline flooding his body dispersing the lazy feeling he had been experiencing before.

He kept his eyes fixed on the lawyer in front of him. The man must have been in his fifties with cold grey eyes and sparse grey hair, the light from the window behind him making the bald patch on the top of his head gleam. He wore an expression on his face as though someone was waving something which smelt unpleasant beneath his nose and forcing him to endure it. He had introduced himself to Dean as Zachariah Moses before he had sat down in the large oversized leather chair on his side of the table and began reading from the will making it clear that he wanted this meeting concluded as soon as possible.

He stopped speaking; leaving a silence behind him as he stared hard at Dean as though he was an interesting species of insect which Zachariah wanted to exterminate. Dean met his eyes with a hard gaze of his own, waiting as the silence grew between them until it felt almost stifling. Dean would be damned if he broke eye contact with the jerk in front of him first.

Finally Zachariah looked away from him, his eyes flickering to the side of the room before they focused back on him this time accompanied by a forced smile which made Dean's skin crawl at the sight of it.

"Of course Mr Winchester, If you need me to repeat what I've just said to you then I am of course more then happy to do that for you" he replied stiffly before he made a show of placing the pile of papers he held in his hand into a near pile before rummaging through the discarded papers finally picking the one he wanted up. He looked back at Dean with a look of sheer disapproval before clearing his throat and speaking. Dean eyes narrowed, noticing that Zachariah had changed his way of reading, lingering over each word and over pronouncing them as though he considered that Dean needed it.

"I hereby leave Mr Dean Winchester the grand sum of ten thousand dollars to do with as he sees fit. I only ask that he spends some of it on himself giving himself something he really needs or desires. I am also leaving him my family own bookshop Elliots and the two flats which are above Elliots. The deed to the building will be passed over to him. He is however not allowed to sell the building for at least a year. I have some last words for Dean. I hope that Elliots brings you the same joy and pleasure that it brought me every day of my life. If there is anyone who deserves this chance then it's you Dean. Just let go and grasp it with both hands and remember that not only do good things happen to good people but also dreams can come true especially within the walls of Elliots. You have always been the grandson I longed for Dean, now my hopes and dreams lie on your shoulders, I know you will do me proud. I shall be waiting for you when you eventually join me. Live life to the fullest Dean, love and laugh and enjoy it because we only get the one life to cherish. I will miss you Dean."

Dean breathed out loudly through his nose, slumping back in his chair as his eyes prickled uncomfortably with the beginnings of tears. He coughed, lowering his gaze so Zachariah wouldn't see his moment of weakness. He had always known that Gladys Matthews cared for him but he never knew that she had viewed him as family. The thought made his heart clench as he realised how much he was going to miss her.

"Gladys what did you do?" He muttered to himself, reaching up and dragging his hand through his short dark blond hair.

"You clearly knew Mrs Williams well" Zachariah commented attracting Dean's attention. He looked up in time to catch the look of distaste on the older man's face as his eyes moved down Dean's body taking in the clothes Dean was wearing. Dean met his gaze with an unimpressed look of his own. He had come straight from work to this last minute meeting so what right did the man have to judge him.

"Obviously" Dean answered shortly, making it clear that he wasn't going to say anymore on the subject. Instead he allowed his mind to wander back to the past as Zachariah continued to read the will, his voice droning on and on.

Gladys had always been a character who lived on the same street as Dean's parents. He could remember staying with her during the years when his parents went out. He would sit for hours enthralled, listening to her stories while his brother Sam pottered around the place or read one of his many books. Dean didn't know why he had bothered when Gladys stories were so fascinated based on Elliots and the customers she served on a regular basis. Dean knew that she had exaggerated the stories but it hadn't mattered to him. When he had returned home from University he became her unofficial handy man fixing anything she needed and taking care of her garden still as enthralled by her stories as he had been as a child.

It had come as a shock to him when his mother rang him at work to tell her that Gladys had died in her sleep. She had always seemed so alive and full of energy that Dean had always assumed that Gladys would outlive them all.

He had never expected to be left anything so it had come a shock when Sam had contacted him to say that Gladys's lawyer had been in contact and had asked for Dean's presence so he could have the will read to him. Out of everything she could have left him Dean had never expected it to be Elliots, the bookshop which had, had such an important place in his childhood, a place which he had ironically never even visited before.

He realised that the room was silent so he spoke suddenly wanting to escape the stuffy office and get some fresh air to help clear his thoughts.

"Sam said there was something you needed me to sign before I left" he said

"I sent a copy of the paperwork to your lawyer, a Mr Sam Winchester, a relative I assume" Zachariah stated continuing without giving Dean a chance to answer him. "He insisted I sent over all the paperwork before you signed it. He returned it to me yesterday with a note stating he approved so all you need to do now Mr Winchester is sign here to state that I have read you the will and that you understand the contents of it. Once you sign that our business with each other will be concluded."

"Great" Dean said, taking the piece of paper which Zachariah had pushed across the table to him. He quickly skimmed read it, his eyes flickering to the post it note stuck on the page which was covered in Sam's writing telling Dean that the business was legit and he could sign it.

Shrugging, he picked up the pen and signed it with a flourish, dropping the pen to the gleaming surface of the desk before he pushed the paper back to the lawyer. He frowned when he noticed that Zachariah was staring at him with a strange look on his face. For a moment he thought the older man looked triumphant but it was gone before Dean could tell for certain instead leaving Zachariah looking faintly bored and annoyed.

Dean watched curiously as Zachariah suddenly pushed him self to his feet, ignoring Dean as he walked across the space of the room to one of the rammed book cases which lined the entire side of the room. He pulled the lid up on a simple wooden box and pulled out two identical keys before he lowered the lid and walked back over to where Dean sat a strange blank expression on his face.

He stood over Dean for a moment, waiting until Dean tilted his head back to meet his gaze before he spoke.

"These now belong to you Mr Winchester" he stated. He held up one of the keys. "This one will open the door to Elliots for you while this one will open both of the flats which you are now landlord to. Mrs Williams had one tenant who lived in the top flat. It is likely that he is unaware of what occurred due to the suddenness of Mrs Williams's demise. It will be up to your own lawyer to draw up the new tenant agreement for him to sign if you decide to allow him to stay in the flat. You might decide to move in there yourself."

He dropped both of the keys into Dean's outstretched hands before he walked back to his side of the table, dropping back into his chair, for an instant Dean wished the chair would break under the guy's weight simply because the older man was a dickhead but the chair remained solid even if it gave out a long protesting creak.

Zachariah straightened everything on his desk, slipping the will back into a folder before he looked back up and met Dean's eyes thoughtfully. "Good afternoon Mr Winchester, have a safe and pleasant trip" his eyes moved from Dean's face to the door before moving back again making it very clear that he was dismissing Dean from his presence.

Dean slowly wrapped his hand around the key, surprised to feel them suddenly become warm beneath his grip, dismissing the thought from his mind he came to his feet, nodded at Zachariah before he turning and walking to the door, breathing a sigh of relief as he left it. He flashed the blond haired receptionist a smile before he headed down the stairs and out into the cool fresh air.

He pulled his coat closer around his body before he pulled his mobile from his pocket, going to his contacts and scrolling through them until he came to his brother's number. He glanced at his watch before he pressed the call button bringing the phone to his ear and waited impatiently for his brother to stop whatever he was doing to pick up the phone. Sometimes Dean wondered why Sam even bothered to own a mobile when he did everything via his laptop.

Dean stopped glancing down the road which he knew would lead him to Elliots. He must have been about ten to fifteen minutes away from his new shop; he had nothing to do until seven that evening so he could easily go down there and check it out. Mind made up he began walking towards it, his thoughts skipping through the possibilities of what it could look like. Now that he was going to know what would look like he found himself strangely nervous and excited at the same time.

He was about to hang up the phone when his brother answered, sounding harassed and annoyed though he was clearly trying to hide that emotion.

"Hello Sam Winchester"

"Hey Sammy, bad time?" Dean asked curiously.

"No more then usual" Sam complained with a sigh. "Ruby just messed up the filing for a case so I need to try and figure out where exactly she's put the correct paperwork since she swears blind that she can't remember where she put it"

"I don't know why you don't just fire her ass and be done with it" Dean responded, "You're always saying that she's messing up so get rid of her and find someone who actually is competent. Hell I've a friend called Jess who would be perfect for the job, she crazy organised and shit, it's like she thrives on it" Dean commented, quickening his pace when a particularly cold blast of wind hit him directly in the face.

"Maybe, send me her details anyway. It can't help to look in case I do decide to fire Ruby" Sam said with a sigh before he spoke, his voice suddenly brightening. "So how did the meeting for with that Zachariah guy? Was he as big a douche as he sounded on the phone?"

"Oh yeah" Dean said fervently "Dude was a dickhead with a stick so shoved up his ass that I'm surprised he didn't impale his own brain on it when he sat down" Dean grinned when Sam laughed.

"If only" Sam replied "I've not dealt with him before but some of the other guys here have and they pretty much say the same thing only they use different analogies for it. Probably a stupid question but are you pleased with what Gladys left you?"

"Let me think about it for a moment Sammy. She's left me two flats, ten thousand dollars and a bookshop and you're actually asking me if I'm pleased. Dude my life rocks at the moment"

"Yeah well you deserve it" Sam said before quickly changing the subject before Dean could respond to Sam's chick flick comment. "Are you heading over there now to check it out or are you heading to Mum's? You remember its Wednesday right? The day we get summoned back home for a family dinner"

Dean rolled his eyes.

"Yeah I remember, Mum rang me earlier asking me to pick up some pie for dessert because she didn't have time to make it or something."

"I can grab that on my way to you" Sam offered.

"Sounds good" Dean agreed turning into Leon Hill where Elliots was situated. He stopped for a moment, suddenly frozen to the spot as he forced himself to focus on his conversation with Sam to help calm his nerves. "You heading to Elliots to meet me?"

"Yeah" Sam said "I want to see it, Gladys always went on about it but I've never actually seen the thing. Every time I was going to go something would always come up and stop me"

"Yeah same here" Dean commented absently. "How long do you think it will take you to get here?" he asked.

"Give me an hour" Sam responded. "This case isn't being heard in court until early next week so as long as I find the paperwork tomorrow I'll be fine. I'll grab the pie, meet you there and then I'll drive us to Mum's, I'm assuming you didn't bring your baby?" Sam asked obviously looking through some papers if the sound of rustling was anything to go by.

"Didn't seem much point" Dean confessed. "The Lawyers was so close to work that it would have been a waste of petrol"

"Makes sense, you want anything else from the shop while I'm there?" Sam queried.

"Yeah maybe some coffee, I haven't had any since I left work. I'll leave the door unlocked for you Sam so just come straight in when you get here, its number eleven Leon Hill. See ya soon"

"Bye Dean" Sam responded before they both disconnected the call. Dean put the phone back into his pocket, taking a deep breath before he walked swiftly down the road, his head bent against the wind.

He stopped outside number eleven, standing on the sidewalk as he tilted his head back so he could stare at the building he now legally owned.

The first thing that struck him was how beautiful the building was especially compared to the other shops on the street. It was made from red brick making it almost glow in the light from the setting sun. A simple shop sign was above the doorway, a light board with Elliots written in what looked like fancy black calligraphy; large windows were at the front of the shop giving a glimpse at what lay inside. Dean stepped forward, pressing his hand against the cold glass as he peered through, his eyes widening as he saw the sheer amount of books, his heart sinking slightly as he realised that it would take him weeks to get things sorted out in there.

He stepped back looking at it one more time, surprised at the sense of relief and belonging which flooded him the more he stared up at it.

This was actually his; no one could take it from him.

A small smile graced his face as he took a step to the door, pulling out the key from his pocket. He looked at it for a moment before he inserted it into the lock and turned.

* * *

Author note

**This is more like it **

**I hope you enjoy this version more then the initial version.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read the story.**

**Chapter Two will be up tomorrow ready for the fresh chapter update over the weekend.**


	2. Well this is strange

Elliots

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**Dean and Sam Winchester do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Here's chapter two for you. I've changed it slightly from the original version but not too much, I just want to spread things out a bit more **

Overall Summary

**Dean thought his life before Elliots was complicated but now that he's been left the bookshop he can see that he didn't know what complicated meant. Not only does he have to deal with a shop which appears to be alive but he also has to deal with a bunch of crazy customers on a daily basis. Add on that the crush he has on Castiel the tenant from upstairs and he's in a whole heap of trouble. He only has to last a year though, he can do that? Right?**

Chapter Summary

**Dean sees the shop for the first time and notices some pretty crazy things…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Novak / Dean Winchester and Gabriel Novak / Sam Winchester**

Chapter Romance

**None so far…**

* * *

Chapter Two

Well this is strange

* * *

Day One part Two

* * *

The door to Elliots seemed to open for Dean before he even had time to twist the doorknob, a sudden strong wind pushed against his back, cold and icy causing him to shiver as the sheer force of it sent him flying forward into the bookshop. He grasped the door frame cursing to him self as he turned to look over his shoulder, glaring at the sky. The weather had been erratic over the past week or so, one minute sunny and warm, the next snowing. It was as though the weather didn't know what to do with itself so was compensating by trying everything.

Shaking his head Dean pushed the door shut behind him, locking out the wind and all the sounds of the outside world.

The bookshop was silent broken only by the sound of his breathing. He looked around him cautiously; there was a strange atmosphere in the shop which he could feel, a mixture of peacefulness and welcome which seemed to sink through his skin warming his inside.

_"Welcome home Dean Winchester"_

Dean started turning around sharply expecting to see someone behind him but he was alone in the room, he touched his ear with a frown. He could have sworn he had heard a whispered comment spoken right into his ear but that was impossible. Shaking his head he became aware of a feeling of being watched by several friendly, curious eyes. It was as though the very walls themselves were observing every move he made.

The mere stupidity of the thought made him laugh to himself, shaking his head as he stepped away from the door and further into the shop. He seriously had to stop watching so many horror films before he went to bed if they were making him believe that the walls were alive and observing him.

The wooden floorboards felt surprisingly warm beneath his feet, soaking through the soles of his trainers and heating his cold feet up. He wriggled his toes, sighing in satisfaction at the feeling before he looked down with a curious expression at the floor. The floorboards beneath him were gleaming and in fantastic condition considering how ancient they looked.

He knew that no one had been in the shop since Gladys died and yet Dean couldn't see any sign of dust anywhere, it was as though someone had been cleaning the place nightly. He knelt down and touched the floor lightly, frowning slightly as his fingertips brushed the warm wood.

Why would the wood be warm when Dean hadn't put the heating on yet?

There was always the chance that Gladys had made an investment and put floor heating in and yet Dean couldn't see her taking that risk, not with all the books around, all it would have taken would have been one faulty wire and the whole place would have gone up in a blaze and yet what other explanation could there have been?

His frown grew as he felt a suddenly pulse beneath his fingers. Snatching them back he stared at them, licking his lips as he forced himself to his feet trying to ignore the tingly feeling going up his arm. It had felt almost like a heartbeat or an electrical current. Whatever it was Dean was going to have to look at it himself or call an expert in. He couldn't risk losing Gladys life work, not when he knew how much time and effort she had placed into it. The mere thought of letting her down sent another shiver down Dean's spine. There was no way he would allow that to happen on his shift.

Shaking his fingers out, he took off his jacket and scarf and placed them onto the spotless counter before he turned around so he was facing the entire shop and took his first proper look around.

There were books everywhere, most were placed away nicely in rows on the books shelves which covered every wall but one in the shop. Others appeared to have been pulled out from their place and were left stacked up into piles, some on the floor in columns which looked as though they were about to topple, other littering the surfaces covering every inch of space available. There were even books stacked on the random chairs which were littered around the shop, clearly placed there for a customer to sink into them to read the book they were considering buying.

It was as though someone had been reading them constantly starting a new book every day and night and forgetting to put them away once they had finished or gotten bored with the book.

The most logical choice was that it was Gladys but Dean couldn't wrap his head around that conclusion, not when he had been around Gladys's house so often and seen how impeccably she kept it. There was no way in hell that she would have left Elliots in this state, not when the place has been her baby. He doubted even feeling sick would have stopped her straightening the place, not when she had been so stubborn that she made Dean look the most least obstinate man in creation.

Dean breathed out noisily, reaching up and pinching the bridge of his nose in confusion. No one had been in the shop since Gladys's death and the place was spotless apart from the books which shouldn't have been out of position. The floor boards were warm for some reason. None of it made sense to him.

"What the hell?" Dean muttered, tilting his head back so he could look at the ceiling noting that it could easily do with another coat of paint. He knew that Sam had some free weekends coming up so there was no reason why the younger man couldn't lend a hand in getting the place sorted. They would have to put the books into the empty flat above them to make sure that none of them was damaged. Dean had always been good with him hands and Sam wasn't shabby either, between the two of them Dean was positive they would be able to do most of the work themselves, he'd probably only need to get someone to look at the floorboards to make sure that any wiring was safe.

His eyes skirted around the shop, he doubted he would do much with the place; most people would like it as it was stating it had character or some other sort of bullshit.

Thinking of the flat above reminded him of the second occupied flat, he was going to have to go up there eventually and speak to whoever they were, letting them know about the changes, he was going to have to find out how much Gladys charged the person and get Sam to work his magic to make everything official.

For a moment Dean wondered whether the tenet had been the person who had been moving things around in the shop, perhaps Gladys had allowed them access to the shop when it had been closed, Dean would have to put a stop to it if that was the case, at least he would have to if they didn't put them away afterwards.

He leaned his back against the side of the counter and sighed.

What the hell was he meant to do with this place? Did Gladys expect him to quit his job and run the place for her? Dean had no experience when it came to retail, he worked as a mechanic in a garage which was world apart from this place, how would he even go about starting?

Dean pushed himself away from the counter and walked back behind it, noticing that the room was pleasantly warm now. He went through the door at the back and stopped, surprised to find himself in a long corridor which split into two at the end, one going left while the other went off to the right. Dean frowned; he didn't realise the building stretched back so far, it had looked normal sized from the outside.

Shrugging he walked down the corridor veering to the right. There were two doors which were facing each other both of them closed, he stopped outside and glanced at them both before he picked the door to the right of him and opened it. It opened easily beneath his hand.

The room in front of him was huge and filled to the brim with books, some of them look brand news, still packed away in boxes clearly waiting to be placed out on the shop floor, and some of the other ones were ancient looking as though they would crumble to dust if anyone touched them. Some even had chains over them making Dean frown in confusion, was that how some of the books came?

Plus how the hell was such a big room back here? And where had all the stock come from, had it been building up over time because Dean would have hazard a guess that there were over a thousand books stuffed in that room.

Shaking his head Dean backed out of the room, closing the door behind him. He stared blankly at it wondering whether he was actually fast asleep in his own bed and dreaming everything. Shaking his head he turned and went to the other door, opening it cautiously and peering through. This one led to a large state of the art kitchen which looked brand new. Dean sighed in relief when he spotted the large coffee machine in the corner of the room. He had never been so thankful to see something in his life; Dean couldn't function without plenty of coffee to get him through the day. The fact that this was already back here was a blessing because he hadn't been looking forward to going to the one down the road.

Dean left the room and walked back down the corridor, he was about to turn down the left corridor when he heard a voice from the shop area.

"Dean? You in here?" Dean turned away and hurried back through the door leading to the bookshop. His brother was standing in the doorway, staring around him with a look torn between excitement and sheer awe; it was a look which Dean remembered very well from their childhood.

"Hey Sammy" he replied, dropping his eyes to the two coffee cups Sam held in his hand "So what do you think of it then?" he asked with a grin as he stepped out from behind the counter and took the coffee which Sam automatically held out to him.

"No offence Dean but I think you're in over your head here" Sam remarked, softening the words with a smile. "This place is something else, no wonder Gladys loved it" Dean nodded.

"Yeah tell me about it" he remarked shaking his head "You should check out the back when you get the chance, the store room is insane, I've not idea how long it's gonna take me to sort it out." Sam shot him a vaguely sympathetic look before he looked at his watch.

"You ready to go?" he asked "We've got to be at mum's in fifteen minutes and you know what Dad gets like if we're late" Dean nodded rolling his eyes. Both of them had endured countless of lectures from their father about their time keeping ability.

"Sure lets go, I'll come back here tomorrow and speak to the tenant" he picked up his scarf winding it around his neck before he pulled his jacket on. He glanced around him one more time surprised to find himself not wanting to leave.

"Dean?" Sam said breaking him out of his thoughts. He nodded.

"Coming Sammy"

He walked to the door and exited, locking it behind him. He was going to have a lot of work to do tomorrow that was for sure.

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Author Note

**So here is chapter two all done and dusted.**

**I tend to update every weekend at the moment though that could be because I'm skint and can't afford to go out at the minute lol. Good news for all of you though **

**Anyway I hope you enjoyed it.**


	3. Making a Start

Elliots

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**Dean and Sam Winchester do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the lateness in getting it to you. Life has been hectic at the moment and juggling so many stories can be a challenge to say the least!**

Overall Summary

**Dean thought his life before Elliots was complicated but now that he's been left the bookshop he can see that he didn't know what complicated meant. Not only does he have to deal with a shop which appears to be alive but he also has to deal with a bunch of crazy customers on a daily basis. Add on that the crush he has on Castiel the tenant from upstairs and he's in a whole heap of trouble. He only has to last a year though, he can do that? Right?**

Chapter Summary

**Things just get stranger and stranger**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Novak / Dean Winchester and Gabriel Novak / Sam Winchester**

Chapter Romance

**None so far…**

* * *

Chapter Three

Making a start

* * *

**Day Two part one**

* * *

Dean smacked his hand against the beeping alarm clock to the side of him, briefly contemplating whether it was worth throwing the damn thing against the wall to shut it up. He couldn't remember turning it on the night before but then again he had been shattered by the time Sam had dropped him home from their parents' house. Time had flown and their father had insisted they watch the big game together and spend some quality Winchester male time together. Dean didn't mind, especially when his mother had provided him with a massive slice of apple pie fresh out of the oven.

Wednesday evenings were easily the happiest he felt each week.

He had planned on sleeping in before he headed over to Elliots later on in the day to begin checking the place out but that plan was clearly out of the window now.

So much for enjoying his one day off from the garage where he currently worked.

Dean groaned out loud, rolling onto his back and lifting his hand to rub awkwardly at his still tired eyes, he tilted his head to the side on the pillow, frowning when he saw that it was still only seven in the morning. He should have just ripped the clock out of the wall and turned over and tried to go back to sleep but he already knew it was useless. Dean had always been a heavy sleeper but the minute his eyes opened then that was it, any further attempt to sleep always failed, leaving him tossing and turning awkwardly in the bed instead.

Sighing out loud, Dean smacked his hand against the mattress in frustration before he forced him self into a sitting position, yawning widely as he glanced around the dark room. He kicked off the warm duvet, shivering when his bare skin was exposed to the chilly air before he shuffled to the edge of the bed and pushed him self into a standing position and raising his arms above his head as he stretched.

He was going to have to speak to his tenant today and introduce him self to him and let him know what had happened to Gladys if he didn't already know. He would have to have Sam draw up a new agreement with him, perhaps Gladys had some records of the guy's name and the arrangement they had shared back at Elliots. The last thing Dean wanted to do was bang on the door of some random stranger's door with no information to back him up, even if it was only the guy's name he knew it would still be better then nothing.

It didn't take long for Dean to shower and dress in some old casual clothes which he didn't mind getting damaged; they were already splattered with paint so a little more wasn't going to matter. He grabbed a quick bowl of cereal and mug of coffee which he demolished before snatching the keys to his car from the side and leaving his warm apartment bundled up in several layers and grabbing his rucksack. He locked the front door behind him and took the stairs, glaring at the out of order sign stuck on the lift door.

He hissed as he exited the apartment building, hunching his shoulders up against the cold breeze and jogged across the car park to the spot where his impala was parked. A grin came to his face when he reached it, gently running his hand over the roof before he patted the cool metal fondly, murmuring a soft greeting to it.

The impala had been a gift from his parents when he had passed his driving test, it had been a complete and utter wreck when he had received it, barely even road worthy but Dean had loved it instantly, seeing the potential in the machine straight away. He had spent all of his free time rebuilding it from scratch, using junk from Bobby Singer's salvage yard until the heap it had been was completely gone, replaced with a sleek beautiful car which attracted attention wherever it went. There was no possession which Dean owned which he loved more then his car and he doubted there ever would be.

Unlocking the driver's door, Dean climbed in, sticking the key into the ignition and pulling the door to behind him, cutting out the cold icy air. He rubbed his bare hands together in an attempt to get some circulation back into his frozen fingers. He was seriously going to have to accept that the weather was going to remain cold and shit and get him self a pair of gloves before he ended up suffered from frost bite. He peered through the windscreen at the heavy grey sky and sighed wondering whether they were going to have snow again. Pushing the thought from his mind, he turned the key, closing his eyes briefly as a smile came to his face at the healthy purring sound the impala made.

He slipped in a cassette tape and headed out of the apartment car park onto the main road which was still deserted. Elliots was only ten minutes away from where he lived, he probably could have walked it but it was too cold for that in his mind.

He sang along to Metallica, fingers tapping against the steering wheel in time to the drum beat before he pulled up outside of the shop and killed the engine. He didn't linger in the interior, instead exiting the car, locking it as he hurried around the back of the car to the shop entrance. He pulled the key from his coat pocket, glancing up at the sign as he turned the key and entered the shop, closing the door behind him and locking it.

He slipped the key back into his pocket and glanced around him, his eyebrow rising in surprise. The place looked cleaner then it had the previous day, most of the books which had been left flung about the room had been tidied up and clearly restacked on the shelves. Only one or two remained out on the table space.

Shaking his head Dean walked out the back towards the kitchen.

He was going to have to call a locksmith in and get the locks for the shop changed, clearly someone was touching the books, and they couldn't just put themselves away.

All he wanted right now was a cup of strong coffee; everything else could wait until he had one of those in his system.

He followed the same route as he had done the previous day, pushing the door opened and entering the large clean room. The first thing that struck him was how warm the kitchen was, heating up his cool skin in a pleasant fashion. The second was the fact that something in that kitchen smelt damn good making his stomach rumble as his mouth began to water.

Dean froze in the doorway, a frown coming to his face as he looked around him. How the hell could something smell so damn good when no one had been in the kitchen? Dean had only glanced in it briefly the day before and he hadn't touched something but clearly someone had.

He walked into the room, heading over to the large oak table which had been shoved to the side of the room. He absently took off his coat and scarf, dumping them over the back of one of the chairs, his attention fixed on the plate of fresh looking oatmeal cookies which had been left abandoned on the table. Dean glanced around the room with a sense of unease before he lent towards the plate and sniffed cautiously at the cookies. They were definitely the things which were producing the smell.

Dean had always been a complete and utter sucker for any sort of cookies though his favourites had always been the oatmeal cookies which his mum would make every weekend without fail. Given the choice he could and would have demolished the entire plate of them but he stopped him self instead placing the plate back on the table.

He had absolutely no idea who had made the cookies and until he did then there would be no way in hell that he would touch them with a barge pole, he had seen enough episodes of CSI to know that you didn't touch anything which just happened to appear out of the blue. Something was clearly going on in this shop and Dean was going to get to the bottom of it

Top of his list to do that day was definitely calling in the locksmith.

Shaking his head and ignoring his increased feeling of unease and curiosity, Dean turned his back on the cookies and headed across the room towards the coffee machine. He rubbed his hands together before he flicked the switch on at the plug. He glanced around him before reaching up and opening the cupboard above it, a grin coming to his face when he saw the fresh unopened bag of coffee beans sat in there as though they had been waiting for him to come. He grabbed them, opening them and poured the necessary amount into the machine before switching the button to start it. Sam had brought Dean the same coffee machine for Christmas two years previously so Dean was well aware of how it worked.

Soon enough he had a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. He turned and headed towards the door with one final suspicious look towards the cookie before he headed down the long corridor and entered the shop, noticing that the room was pleasantly warm just like it had been the day previously. Gladys must have had the heating on timer or something.

Dean placed his mug on the clear counter top and looked around him noticing for the first time that Gladys had a till but no computer. If there was no computer then how the hell had Gladys kept a note on what she had in stock and what she had sold. Surely she would need the computer so she could keep a record of it all. He knew that she didn't have a computer and home.

Dean bent behind the counter, opening the drawers searching for any kind of stock books she might have but every drawer was empty of any belongings. Dean stood, resting his hands against the counter. She must have books somewhere; no one could run a business without a computer or books. He knew she had, had a good memory but not even her memory could have been as good as to remember every book she owned and how many copies she had of them.

He shuddered when he thought of the stock room and how many books had been in there. God there was no way in hell that he could go through them all; it would take months to do.

Dean turned and headed back the corridor turning to the left this time and looking into the two rooms. One was a bathroom and the other was a study, A study which had plenty of books for reading but no books that he could find which had anything to do with the every day running of the shop or what they had. Either Gladys hadn't bothered keeping them or someone had taken them. Either way it meant that Dean was royally screwed.

He would have to start afresh.

Dean ran his hand through his hair, glancing down at his watch, raising an eyebrow when he realised that it was already past eight thirty and that he had been searching for over an hour. He headed back to the shop and picked up his mobile from the side, flipping through his contacts before pressing the connect button.

"Sam Winchester"

"Still not bothering to look at your caller ID I see, Why bother with such a fancy phone if you aren't even going to use it properly?" he teased, shaking his head before he continued speaking. "Are you still off work today Sam?" he asked

"Yep, Ruby managed to find the paperwork she had misplaced this morning so I don't have to go in to find them, why?" Sam asked, a suspicious note coming to his voice which Dean ignored.

"I need you to go and do me a favour" Dean said.

"It depends what your favour is" Sam responded instantly. "I'm not making the same mistake again Dean."

"This one is right up your geeky alleyway. I need you to go and get me a computer, you're better at all this technological stuff then I am. It needs to be state of the art, something which can store a hell of a lot of information on it."

"Why do you-"Sam began, stopping when Dean interrupted him.

"Yeah would you believe that Gladys doesn't have a computer here in the shop? I don't know how the hell she did it because she certainly didn't leave me any books. It's like everything which would have been helpful had disappeared off the face of the planet. I'm gonna have to do all of this by hand just to know what the hell is in this shop" Dean said with a sigh. Sam whistled.

"Dean, there were hundred of books in that place" he said in disbelief. "It's going to take you months to make a record of them, especially if you're doing it all by hand with no computer to store them on. I mean I'll go and get you one but I'm not going to be there until ten at the earliest"

"That's fine Sam, I've got my coffee and I've got a pen and notebook as well. I can start doing it while I wait for you. I've got to get a locksmith in to change these locks, I got to head upstairs and speak to my random tenant dude and god knows what else I'll discover which will need work done to it. I mean I noticed yesterday that the ceiling looked as though it needed-"Dean's voice trailed off, his eyes widening as he stared at the ceiling realising that it looked perfect. The slight discolouration and small cracks he had noticed yesterday were gone as though they had never been there in the first place.

"Dean is everything ok?" Sam asked, his voice sounding concerned over the phone line.

"Yeah, yeah it's nothing Sam I just thought I saw something" he said distractedly before he pulled him self together. "If you could bring me the computer here then that would be awesome, I'll buy you some lunch today as a thank you, my treat."

"Sounds good, I'll drive to the computer superstore just out of town once I'm dressed. That's where work gets their machines from so it should have plenty of options."

"Ok thanks Sam, just get whatever you think is best and drop me a text when you're on your way over to me." Dean said before he disconnected the call, his eyes still fixed on the ceiling with a growing sense of confusion. He hadn't imagined the way the ceiling had been the previous day and yet there was no sign of it.

Nothing about this place was making any sense to Dean.

He shook his head, picking up his mug and blowing on the steaming liquid before he took a sip, humming his appreciation at how good it tasted.

He placed it back on the surface, opening the small rucksack he had brought with him and opened it, pulling out his pen and notebook which he kept with him. He opened it to a clean page, glancing around him with a look of despair before he set his shoulders with a determined look.

There was no way around it so he might as well get on with it.

He stepped around the counter, heading to the first bookcase and got to work, writing down the title and author of each book and how many copies of them he had. He had no idea how long he had been working for when an unfamiliar voice spoke from behind him, a voice which sounding amused and curious at the same time.

"Well, well, well and who might you be pretty boy?

* * *

Author Note

**Next chapter shall be up soon.**

**Thanks for reading **


	4. Well at least he's pretty

Elliots

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**No recognisable characters belong to me but if you don't recognise the character then there's a good chance they belong to me in which case please don't use unless you ask permission first.**

Disclaimer

**So I know there's been a massive gap between updates and I'm sorry for that. I've just had a lot of things on my mind and I've been trying to focus only on one or two stories at a time but then I've been struck by guilt so I've decided what I'm going to try and do is update each story once a month and then focus on two and update them more… hopefully it will work.**

**Any way this chapter is only short but some of the chapters have to be to make sense… or at least they'll make sense eventually.**

**Have no fear though; we do finally meet Castiel and Gabriel in this chapter even if they do end up confusing the hell out of Dean! Poor Dean he really is in over his head and he just has no idea he is **

**Anyway please enjoy the chapter!**

Overall Summary

**Dean thought his life before Elliots was complicated but now that he's been left the bookshop he can see that he didn't know what complicated meant. Not only does he have to deal with a shop which appears to be alive but he also has to deal with a bunch of crazy customers on a daily basis. Add on that the crush he has on Castiel the tenant from upstairs and he's in a whole heap of trouble. He only has to last a year though, he can do that? Right?**

Chapter Summary

**That's not how this game works**

Overall Romance

**Castiel / Dean Winchester and Gabriel / Sam Winchester**

Chapter Romance

**None so far but it will be coming…**

* * *

Chapter Four

Well at least he's pretty

* * *

Day Two

Afternoon

* * *

Dean blinked at the sound of the voice which broke the previous silence he had been working in, slowly coming out of the crouch he had been in and straightening, reaching out and resting his hand against one of the wooden shelves as his calves protested the sudden movement. He swallowed, tilting his head to the side and looked towards the way the voice had come from.

His eyes narrowed as he took in the sight which greeted him.

There were two men standing at the back of the shop, blocking off the doorway which led out to the corridor, men who Dean had never seen before in his life. They both looked different to each other though the more Dean looked at them, the more he was able to detect some resemblance between the two of them in their features. The smaller man must have been about five foot seven with wavy dark blond hair and eyes which were a strange amber eyes with more then a small bit of gold in them, while the other man was taller, perhaps six foot with wild dark hair which was stuck up in every direction possible and bright blue eyes which were currently fixed on Dean as though he was a surprisingly interested specimen the other man wanted to study in detail.

"You know I could ask you the very same question" Dean remarked after a pause.

"You could but I did ask you first which means that you should answer me first, you can't just answer with another question. So come on, spit it out pretty boy, who exactly are you?" the blond one answered, lifting up a finger and wagging it back and forth. Dean's eyes narrowed as he followed the movement, pushing down on the anger the gesture caused in him. God he hated patronising people more then anyone.

"So you did" Dean answered, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked passed them towards his rucksack sitting on the desk, wondering whether he could reach it before the two men realised exactly what he was going for. They were technically closer to it then he was but Dean had always been extremely fast of the mark. If he could reach it then he could pull out the long, sharp knife he kept in the side pocket, which his father had given him, in case of emergencies. Dean was pretty sure that this would be the sort of emergency which his father had warned him about when he had given him the knife in the first place.

It didn't help that he had foolishly left his mobile in his bag as well, having thrown it back in there after his conversation with Sam had finished so it wouldn't be in his way while he worked. Of course he needed the phone so he would be able to call the police if the situation needed it or failing them his brother for some much needed back up.

The blond man sighed loudly, attracting Dean's gaze from his bag to look at him.

"Fine" he said, throwing his arms into the air before he jabbed his finger in Dean's direction. "You're clearly one of those annoying stubborn people who want everything to be in your terms or not at all" he declared. Dean tilted his head to the side as he considered the man's description of him before he shrugged and spoke, a tinge of amusement coming to his voice

"Perhaps I am" he stated simply, taking a step to the side so he was a step closer to the bag.

The blond man stared at him for a moment in amazement before he suddenly chuckled, the sound surprised as he shook his head. He rested his hand against his own chest and spoke.

"I'm Gabriel" he announced before he swung his arm out and lightly hitting the dark haired man in the stomach, the same dark haired man who hadn't looked away from Dean once. "And this is my younger brother Castiel."

"Right" Dean answered, raising an eyebrow as he reached up and lightly tugged at his lower lip before he spoke. "And the reason why you're both in this bookshop when it's clearly closed is-" he let his words drift off, watching as Gabriel's eyes narrowed.

"Nope" he stated flatly, crossing his arms over his chest, his foot tapping impatiently against the floor. "That's not the way this game works. We've answered your question, now you have to answer ours. Who exactly are you pretty boy?"

Dean hesitated for a moment, glancing towards the front door and wishing that Sam would walk though it and provide Dean with the backup which he needed. Knowing Dean's luck though, his brother was probably still at the computer shop, geeking out over the different kind of models currently on the Market and discussing them in details with the shop assistants, believing that he was doing exactly what Dean wanted him to do.

He breathed out and looked back towards them, his eyes lingering over their features, committing their faces to his memory for future reference before he spoke.

"I'm Dean Winchester" he responded, raising his eyebrow again when both of the men in front of him reacted to his name, turning to glance at each other before they looked back at him with matching looks which made him feel uneasy. He shifted beneath their gazes, licking at his lips nervously before he spoke.

"You know I've answered now, so I guess it's my turn to ask a question of you, at least its my turn if your game is still in play so tell me Gabriel and Castiel, why are you here exactly?"

"I live in the flat above the shop" Castiel said, speaking for the first time in a deep, rough voice which sent a shiver down Dean's spine as he turned away from Gabriel to look at Castiel.

"Wait, so you're the tenant then?" Dean asked, taking a step towards him. "I was going to come and visit you later on today. There's something which I need to tell you, Gl-"

"Gladys is dead" Castiel interrupted, dropping his eyes to the floor, Dean blinked in surprise as he nodded his head.

"Well yeah, has someone already told you that she's passed?" Dean asked with a frown. "Only the Lawyer who gave me the keys to the place seemed to be under the impression that you wouldn't know about it yet."

"He knows because you're here in the shop" Gabriel stated bluntly, looking at him. "The next in line has come, so it is written so it must be and all that jazz."

"Sorry I'm the next in line to what exactly?" Dean asked, moving his gaze back to Gabriel with a questioning look. "What do you mean by that exactly?" he demanded. Gabriel ignored him, turning to look at his brother instead.

"He's not exactly what I was expecting, just what the hell was Gladys thinking?" he demanded, glancing back at Dean, his eyes moving up and down his body before they lingered on his face. "He's pretty at least and those freckles are adorable. It would have been ten times worse if he had been ugly." He stated, looking back to Castiel.

Dean felt his face flush, silently cursing the reaction even as he spoke.

"Hello, I'm still here in the room you know" he snapped, reaching up and running an agitated hand through his short light brown hair. "And I want some damn answers from you or you can both get the hell out of here and not come back."

"Well, well, well He's certainly a feisty one isn't he, that's a good thing at least. That can be worked with." Gabriel continued as though Dean had remained silent. "What do you think then Cassie? Do you think you can handle someone like him because if you can't then we can-"

"He's mine" Castiel responded causing Dean to blink in confusion at the tone in Castiel's voice. He watched with wide eyes as they both turned away from him without another word to him, heading towards the back door which must have been the way they had entered in the first place. His mouth parted, falling open as they effortlessly switched from English to another language which sounded ancient and one which Dean had never heard before in his life.

He watched stunned as they disappeared into the corridor, closing the door behind them.. Dean blinked staring at the wood before he shook his head in disbelief and spoke out loud, breaking the silence which had descended after their departure from the room.

"Just what the hell has just happened?"

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for reading**


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